UW-River Falls student newspaper wins awards

February 27, 2017--The Student Voice, the student-run weekly newspaper serving the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, has earned four awards in the 2016 Better Newspaper Contest sponsored by the Wisconsin College Media Association. Results of the contest were announced Feb. 24 during the Wisconsin Newspaper Association's annual convention in Middleton.

Zach Dwyer, a journalism major from New Hope, Minn., earned third place in sports reporting for his story, "UWRF alumnus Ryan Stridde visits campus." Dwyer is the sports editor for the Student Voice.

Tori Schneider, a journalism major from Manitowoc, earned honorable mention in general reporting for her story, "UW-River Falls begins to address issue of gender neutral bathrooms." Schneider is doing a photojournalism internship this semester at the daily Bay City (Mich.) Times.

The staff of the Student Voice won second and third place awards for editorial writing for "New gun law proposal heads in the wrong direction" and "No confidence vote from faculty senate highlights unease at UWRF."

In addition, journalism and business administration double major Kate Vruwink of Wisconsin Rapids participated in a panel discussion during the convention about "Reporting That Makes a Difference." Vruwink talked about her "Without a Roof" project on the homeless in Wisconsin. Her research was supported by a Summer Scholars grant from the UW-River Falls Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity office.

The Student Voice is a student-run campus media organization supported primarily by student fees and advised by faculty in the Department of Communication and Media Studies.

For more information, contact Professor Sandy Ellis, chair of the Department of Communication and Media Studies, at 715-425-3169 or sandra.ellis@uwrf.edu, or Associate Professor Andris Straumanis at andris.straumanis@uwrf.edu.